Height advantage
Woman competing in Miss Petite Canada Globe
Caitlyn Simms has heard all the jokes about her height — from midget to dwarf, “you name it, it’s been said.”
Now, the 20-year-old Deer Lake woman is using her height — all four feet, 11 inches of it — to her advantage in hopes of being crowned Miss Petite Canada Globe 2016-17.
Simms learned about the pageant from her friend, Morgan Payne, who was named Miss Petite Newfoundland and Labrador at the 2015-16 competition last August.
After talking to her about the experience, Payne encouraged her to join, Simms said.
Simms is studying early childhood education at College of the North Atlantic in Corner Brook, and said the scholarship opportunities the Miss Canada Globe program offers winners were partly what drew her in.
But there was something else, too.
“Just the satisfaction of doing something for myself, really,” she said.
So she submitted an application in August, which was followed up with a phone interview. Within a day, she was notified that she had been selected as a finalist in the competition.
“Before this I was never really into the Barbie Doll thing,” said Simms.
But from Payne she learned this is not your typical beauty pageant. She said the organizers look for contestants who are down-to-earth.
Just making the leap to apply has already changed her somewhat.
“I definitely feel more confident,” she said, adding that confidence was something she expected to get out of the experience. While the pageant competition is new to her, being onstage isn’t — and that’s another ace up her sleeve.
Simms sings, plays guitar and writes her own songs, and laughed when she said “it will definitely help me with the talent portion.” She’s an alumnus of the Mr. H. Presents program for young performers and also plays at AJ’s in Corner Brook.
The competition will be held in Toronto in August, and to prepare Simms has to get some sponsors and attend community events to represent the pageant. She has already participated in the town’s Santa Claus parade and will be at the opening of Winterfest this weekend.
Simms also plans to make appearances at charity events. Her platform of choice is the Heart and Stroke Foundation, something special to her family, having lost her grandfather, Cliff Hicks, to a heart attack.